DOG DAZE – Augusto De Oliveira readies his music for an afternoon stroll with his dogs. Since returning from Brazil at the age of 18 (he’s now in his mid-20s) De Oliveira has become a sought-after trainer/breeder.

Hyannis trainer getting noticed

When Augusto De Oliveira walks down Main Street in Hyannis, people stare. While his smile is infectious, that’s not the main reason for the curious looks. Those might just have something to do with the nine or so dogs walking in front of De Oliveira, their brightly colored leashes tucked into one hand and his music player in the other.

Don’t be fooled. De Oliveira is not your average dog walker. As his relationship with his large brood proves, he has a gift in communicating with the animals that has led to his becoming a sought-after trainer and breeder as the owner-operator of Griffin Shepherd Kennels.

De Oliveira’s canine adventures began while growing up on a family farm in Brazil.

“My grandparents had a lot of different animals,” he said. “That’s how I learned to communicate with them.”

De Oliveira said the dogs on the farm, many of which were un-socialized strays, would follow him everywhere, leading to peers teasing him and calling him “Dr. Dolittle” or “Noah” of the biblical ark.

Undaunted, De Oliveira began working with the dogs and with a professional trainer, drawn in particular to German Shepherds. De Oliveira found the breed marvelous to train, protective and loving.

“You can train them to do everything,” De Oliveira said. “Some are for protection, some are for hunting, and they are also good family dogs, good with kids.”

But as De Oliveira knows, how well a dog interacts with a family depends on how well the dog has been trained. Too often, he said, people either don’t train their dogs at all or use methods that are ineffective or based on fear tactics.

De Oliveira’s training is a technique he describes as positive but firm, and specific to each particular breed of dog.

“I know what methods work well in all different breeds,” he said. “I read their body language.”

While De Oliveira said that certain breeds can be more challenging to train, he continues to have success and is sought out by dog owners both local and out-of-state, and even across the border in Canada.

“Everybody is always asking me what I do with my dogs and why I have all these dogs,” he said.

The aforementioned nine are De Oliveira’s personal pets, ranging in age from seven months (Diva) to six years (Harmony). He has seven girls and two boys and is a careful and meticulous trainer/breeder.

“I’m very selective,” he said of choosing people to sell his puppies to. “I don’t sell to pet stores, and I don’t ship my dogs. I know where the owners are, who they are. They have to be approved.”

Many prospective owners, as well as current owners, seek De Oliveira out because they appreciate how he interacts with his own animals. He said it stems from a healthy respect for their pack mentality.

“They all have their place,” he said, adding that within his family of nine there are alpha males and females, and when the pack lines up for a walk, they do so in a particular pre-established order.

Interestingly, it was getting into the dog business that made De Oliveira’s return to the United States bearable. Born here, he returned to Brazil as a child to live on his grandparents’ farm. Wanting him to have better opportunities and hone his English, his family urged him to return when he was 18.

“At first I thought I wasn’t going to stay,” he said. “I gave it six months.”

Working as a dishwasher as well as at two other jobs, De Oliveira got his first job working with dogs. His rapport with the canines led him to where he is now. While people might still call him names, De Oliveira isn’t fazed.

“They can call me what they want to call me,” he said. “I know I can communicate with dogs.”

Plus, he’s doing exactly what he once dreamed of.

“It’s what I love to do,” he said. “It’s always good to do what you love to do.”

For more information about Augusto De Oliveira and Griffin Shepherd Kennels call 774-212-4973 or visit his Facebook page at facebook.com/GriffinShepherdKennels.